This year, the campaign is expanding into China’s county markets, reaching over 1,000 counties and cities.
Healthcare practitioners are the main target audience of the campaign’s expansion.
The plan is to reach out to 600,000 primary healthcare institutions, educating 200,000 doctors, and screening 100,000 individuals who may be at risk of osteoporosis.
China is Haleon’s key market when it comes to its bone health dietary supplement business Caltrate.
The Bone Up China campaign is frequently credited for driving the sales of Caltrate across the country.
Over the past decade, the company worked with five key stakeholders to build up public awareness of osteoporosis to about 700 million people.
The company worked with government agencies, medical experts and KOLs, hospitals, pharmacies, and e-commerce platforms in establishing the program.
Through which, complimentary bone density tests were provided to over four million individuals.
“The initiative is designed to address osteoporosis-related challenges by focusing on three core areas: scientific awareness, scientific assessment, and scientific solutions,” Alicia Ng, Wider Asia R&D head for Haleon said in response to queries from NutraIngredients.
Osteoporosis prevalence
According to Ng, over 100 million individuals in China have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, but public awareness of the disease is low - with only 7.4% being aware of the condition.
Outside of China, osteoporosis is also highly prevalent in various parts of APAC, and the company has been considering the expansion of the Bone Up campaign throughout the region.
Ng pointed out that in Japan, about 13 million are affected, while in South Korea, approximately 22% of women and 7% of men over 50 years old are diagnosed with osteoporosis.
“Osteoporosis is highly prevalent not only in China but also across the Asia Pacific region.
“In Singapore, it is estimated that one in three women and one in five men over 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime; Australia has over one million people impacted by the condition.
“Given this widespread burden, Haleon is actively considering the expansion of the Bone Up campaign throughout the Asia Pacific region,” she said.
NPD launches in APAC
On top of plans to expand Bone Up, the company also expanded its bone health dietary supplement SKUs across key APAC markets.
In China, one of the notable launches is liquid calcium said to enhance user convenience especially among the elderly and absorption - a feature with Chinese consumers resonate more strongly with.
Recent launches include Caltrate Restage sold in Taiwan. The formula contains 600mg calcium, vitamin C, D, and is added with vitamin K2 that helps promote calcium absorption and strengthen bone.
Elsewhere in South Korea, it launched under the Centrum brand Tamaflex All-in-One for supporting joint mobility and managing inflammation. Tamaflex is a patented blend of tamarind seeds and turmeric root extract supplied by NXT USA.
In India, it similarly launched the Centrum brand Ostocalcium CCM, which combines calcium citrate malate (CCM), vitamin D and vitamin K2.
“These regionally relevant and science-backed launches are part of our dedication to bringing health in more hands, empowering consumers to manage their bone and joint health proactively.
“Collaboration with our partners are instrumental in deepening our research that promote overall consumer wellness,” said Ng.
Raising awareness for other health conditions
Aside from osteoporosis, Haleon is also in the midst of raising awareness of other health conditions and how prevention could reduce healthcare costs.
Some examples are musculoskeletal conditions, tooth decay, gum disease, air pollution, and micronutrient deficiencies in women.
It is raising awareness via a partnership with The Economist known as the Health Inclusivity Index (HII) started in 2022.
The index shows how productivity can be improved and healthcare costs reduced by lowering the risk of the conditions developing.
“Our aim is to demonstrate that health inclusivity is an economic imperative, just as it is a moral one.
“By removing barriers to health, we can reduce healthcare costs, improve productivity, and strengthen economies,” said Ng.
Using musculoskeletal conditions and osteoporosis as examples, she said that there was already evidence showing how lifestyle interventions and early screening could reduce the risk of these conditions.
“Having a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, regular weight-bearing exercise, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol can significantly reduce risk.
“Bone density screening and musculoskeletal health checks should also become routine for at-risk groups, particularly women and adults over 50.
“Our analysis shows that improving access to these preventive measures could save economies over US$50 billion annually across 40 countries,” she said.
The latest phase of the HII focuses on how reducing disease incidence could improve productivity and save healthcare costs in four groups of people: 1) individuals with low health literacy, 2) low-income populations, 3) women, and 4) individuals aged 50 and above.
“Ultimately, the goal is to provide policymakers, healthcare professionals, and industry leaders with a roadmap for action, showing that investing in inclusive health systems pays dividends for individuals, societies, and economies,” she said.
